Mountain Proposal
by SoulFire1111
Summary: One Shot. A special visit to Mount Myokobu Gamakichi, Naruto and Hinata belong to the esteemed Masashi Kishimoto and I only hope to do them justice.


MOUNTAIN PROPOSAL

Naruto Uzumaki paced nervously in and out, weaving a trail around the three worn, wooden posts that marked the old grounds where he had so often trained throughout the years. He unconsciously fingered the small, square box in his pant pocket as he walked, his mind a swirl with with old doubts and fears. Asking Hinata to share his life was a step he had wanted to take for some time, but now that he had made the move to act on his wishes he wondered if burdening her with a lifetime of his baggage would be truly fair. Movement on the horizon caught his eye, forcing him to gulp down his trepidation and flash a carefree grin.

"Over here," he called, waving an arm overhead in greeting as Hinata Hyuuga approached.

Her smile blossomed upon seeing the expressive blond, back lit by the late afternoon sun and resplendent as always in his traditional black and orange. "I hope I'm not late, Naruto kun." She apologized as she neared his side, "My afternoon spar with Hanabi went longer than I expected and-"

"Naw, you're just in time," he assured with a shake of his unruly blond spikes. "Maybe even a little early."

She glanced at the lowering sun, silently wondering why Naruto had requested to meet at this remote spot so late in the day. He seemed to sense her thoughts.

"I know this is kind of a weird place to get together," he admitted, "but I sorta needed some room for-"

Before he could finish, a gigantic orange toad clad in a blue jacket poofed into the clearing behind them. "Am I on time?"

"-well—for him." Naruto finished, jerking a thumb in the new arrival's direction.

"Gamakichi?" Hinata looked over Naruto's shoulder at his favorite summon.

"Hi, Hinata!" The big toad called across to her as Naruto turned to address him.

"Hey, big guy. Made it with time to spare."

"Great!" Gamakichi nodded at the lavender clad girl at Naruto's side. "So _she's _the one, eh?" he asked, pointedly raising his pinky finger in the air. "Good choice. She's not bad...for a human."

Naruto shot him a scowl but said nothing. He rolled a concerned eye in Hinata's direction, but she seemed not to notice the rude toad's implications, still pondering as she was his presence.

"Are we ready to go?" Gamakichi continued.

"Go?" Hinata turned her attention back to the blond at her side. "Go where?"

"Oh, it's-uh-a little surprise I thought up. I wanted to show you someplace really special and—well, you'll see—just hold still for a minute." He took her hand and gave the towering toad a nod. "Let's go!"

In a flash of light and smoke they were suddenly somewhere else—somewhere like Hinata had never before seen. Tree-like ferns and huge, wide leafed caladiums towered overhead, gently dipping in the faint breeze.

"Wha-what is this place?" she stammered, craning her neck to take in the unconventional forest around them.

"Welcome to my home turf!" Gamakichi announced. "Consider yourself honored: Not many humans are given the privilege of a visit." He looked down at Naruto. "If I'm no longer needed, I'm off to find Gamatatsu and scare up some eats."

Naruto nodded. "Sure. I'll call you up when we're ready to leave."

"Right! See ya later!" With that, the big toad disappeared in a smokey cloud.

Naruto took a deep breath before turning a confident face toward the dark haired beauty at his side. "Well," he asked, spreading his arms. "What do you think? Pretty awesome, huh?"

"So this is Mount Myoboku, where you studied to become a Toad Sage," she murmured softly, almost to herself, as she continued to look up and around them. "It is very strange...in a beautiful way..."

"This is just the beginning," he insisted, his natural enthusiasm overriding his inner fears. "Wait'll you see the rest of the place! Come on!" He seized her hand and lead the way through the unusual forest.

Hinata scrambled to keep up with his energetic pace, skipping to the side as a beetle as large as a water bucket ambled from the underbrush. "Everything is so big. It must have been a challenge just to train under these circumstances."

"That's nothing!" he said with a grimace. "I spent half the time getting beaten to a pulp by Gramps Sage and the other half choking down Granma Sage's idea of cooking. Gah!" He shuddered with the memory of monstrous crickets and worms swimming in a hot bowl of slime.

"Oh my!" was all Hinata could offer, struggling to hide her amusement at his exaggerated expressions.

"Yeah, it was tough to be sure," he continued, "but what the heck, so am I, y'know!"

He pushed ahead, sidestepping an immense mushroom and bounced up with masculine bravado to strike one of the overhanging caladiums. The blow was just enough to spatter a rain of dew down upon him. He sputtered in embarrassment, on the verge of pouting, but Hinata's soft laugh brightened his attitude.

"Come on this way," he said with a sheepish grin. "I'll show you where I went from lowly Genin to amazing Toad Sage."

Hand in hand, he took her on a whirlwind tour of the mountain's sights, regaling her with tales of his training under Toad Sage Fukusaku. As usual, she was charmed by his exuberant puffery. Gamakichi was right: It was indeed a privilege to be here, not because it was the secret home of the great Toad Sages, but because she was included in a private part of Naruto's world that few others shared.

He had just finished showing her around the great toad oil fountain and its gathering of frog statues, expounding on the dangers of the cascading yellow oil, when he spotted a melding swirl of pink, blue and golden orange reflected in the ripples of the pool. Nearly sunset! He had become so wrapped up in his stories that he had almost forgotten why they were here. Almost.

His earlier misgivings returned, and he cleared his throat in an attempt to clear them away. Stomach tightening, he squeezed Hinata's hand and gave it a tug. "Come on—there's a place you've gotta see over this way."

They sprinted their way past the drooping, conical homes of the toad folk and again skirted the caladium forest as dusk fell around them. Naruto halted as they came to a point where the giant vegetation opened onto a rolling field backed by towering green mountains, some of which showed signs of past damage. A small stream cut through the scene, and he guided them to the little wooden bridge crossing it.

He stopped on the crest of the bridge and reached out to wrap his fingers around the rope that served as railing. "I used to come here at night," he explained, "to do some-uh-special training on my own."

"I see." Hinata said, noting evidence of his past visits in the destruction on the darkening horizon. She wondered exactly what kind of training Naruto had been doing out here in the dark, but kept her questions to herself. "For a training ground it certainly has a lovely view."

"It'll be even better in a few minutes," he assured her.

Almost on cue, a glowing light blinked out in the distance, followed by another and another. Within minutes the entire clearing was filled with a visual symphony of pulsing lights so bright that they lightened the sky around them.

"Fireflies!" Hinata exclaimed in delight. She gasped as an insect the size of a hummingbird whirred past, flashing its call to the others in the field.

"Isn't it something?" Naruto murmured, staring out on the scene. "It's like the stars came down to put on a dance."

She looked across at his entranced expression, illuminated by the light show, and felt again all of the reasons why she so loved him. "It truly is beautiful," she sighed, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for going to all this trouble to share something so special with me."

He blinked, reminded again of the purpose behind their visit and she felt his body momentarily tense. She lifted her head in concern, seeking his eyes in the shifting light. "What..?"

"About that-" He reached back to rub the nape of his neck. "Well a...a special place is even more special when there's someone special to share it with, y'know..."

"Yes. I know," she said softly as she covered the hand still gripping the rope with her own.

He emitted a nervous chuckle, studying the small, delicate hand on his. "I still don't know what an awesome girl like you sees in a big goof like me. I'm loud and messy and not exactly the sharpest kunai in the pouch-"

Hinata silenced him with a squeeze of her fingers. "Naruto kun, don't be so hard on yourself! I prefer to think of you as bold in behavior, relaxed in life and unique in thought. Maybe you're not a perfect person, but your imperfections are all a part of what makes you the the 'big goof'' I fell in love with so long ago."

"Y'see, there you go, always knowing the right thing to say." He cocked his head and sent her an admiring smile. "You're the sweetest, kindest, most beautiful person I've ever met," he said in a voice uncharacteristically soft with sincerity. "Really, y'know."

His compliments could still draw a blush to her cheeks, even after all the time they had spent together in the past year, and his smile widened, spirits buoyed by the response. He breathed deep and dug into his pocket. "I've faced all six paths of Pain, challenged Kurama—heck, I've even stood up to Madara-but this is the scariest thing I've ever done..."

"This..?" she puzzled, fingers rising toward her lips as she tilted her head in a way that made her long, dark hair cascade around her shoulders.

"Yeah, this." Naruto tugged the small black box into view, almost shoving it into her hands. "I-uh-I—oh jeez, just open it!"

Heart pounding with surprise at the offered present, she followed his orders, revealing a single opal, offset with tiny diamonds in a simple silver ring. It glowed white in the flashing dance of the fireflies. The world momentarily swirled around her, and she steadied herself against the little bridge's rail posts, almost dropping the prized gift into the stream below.

"Hey, hey! You all right?" Naruto shouted, jumping in to wrap a stabilizing arm around her waist. "It's okay. If you don't like it, I can-"

"Oh, no! Naruto kun, it's beautiful!" She had regained composure enough to realize just how tightly he held her. "I-I just-"

"Oh, good!" he interrupted. His grip loosened in relief and he reached out to pluck the ring from its box. "It's a fire opal, y'know," he said, holding the stone at eye level. "It—well, it sort of reminded me of your eyes...sure, it looks kind of white and plain at first, but when you see it in the right light it's all sparkly...and yeah, like you said, beautiful..."

The very eyes he was complimenting betrayed the hint of a smile. "For a big goof you seem to have quite a way with words, yourself," she said with a soft laugh.

"Yeah, well..." It was his turn to blush and he squirmed uncomfortably as his mind returned to the task at hand. "So...uh...what do you say?"

"Say?" she asked, brow drawn with confusion.

He sucked in his breath, drawing up the courage to voice those few little and yet enormous words. "The life of a Jinchuuriki is no piece of cake. I've managed better than most so far, makin' peace with Kurama and all, but still..." His voice trailed off as he examined the ring pinched between his fingers. "...it's a lot to put up with..." His blue eyes lifted to meet hers. "...but if you think you could—"

"N-naruto kun-" she stammered, lapsing into her childhood habit with the realization of what he was trying to say. "A-are you-you asking me to-to-".

"To be my girl forever-yeah-" He shoved the ring back into her hands, his expression desperate. "Aw heck, Hinata, will you take the chance and marry me?"

She took a stunned pause to collect her thoughts. To share Naruto's life was a dream she had held in her heart for as long as she could remember. She had been content just to find herself at his side both in battle and in friendship, and though they had grown ever closer over time, she had never dared to hope that this moment would come. She pressed the ring to her heart and reached out to him with her eyes.

"How can I turn down the request of Konoha's finest shinobi?"

He reacted with a whoop, scooping her up in his arms with such abandon that she nearly dropped the ring. She squeaked in alarm and he released her, a sheepish grin plastered across his face.

"Sorry, sorry!" he apologized. He took the ring and enthusiastically pushed it up the appropriate finger. "There! Now, where were we—oh, yeah-!" He tugged her close in another boisterous bear hug.

Her laughter tickled his ear, prompting him to nuzzle through her midnight hair and teasingly return the favor. She pulled back with a giggle and he took advantage of the moment to plant a crooked kiss. She adjusted her chin to realign their lips, savoring the suddenly gentle pressure of his mouth against hers.

At length they turned to resume observance of the fireflies dancing across the valley. Hinata leaned against Naruto's chest, head tucked under his chin, and he wrapped his arms around to draw her nearer.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I'll always remember this night—the fireflies—my ring-" She held the opal up to the flickering light.

"Me, too," he agreed with a chagrined chuckle, thinking back on all of his needless worry.

She sensed his embarrassment. "Did you really think that I would say no?"

"Welll..." He shrugged. "It's a big step, y'know—and the worst is yet to come."

"The worst-?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Now I have to work up the courage to face your father!"

Their shared laughter floated out across the open field.


End file.
